Tri-Cities company ordered to pay $470,000 after farmworkers reported rape and harassment | Northwest

PASCO – Two Pasco companies will pay $470,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing a supervisor of multiple rapes and sexual harassment of their female farmworkers.

According to the Washington State Attorney General, Greenridge Farms and Baker Produce companies retaliated against the women who spoke out, including one woman who reported to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office that she had been raped multiple times.

Both companies are large agricultural operations formerly owned by Frank Tiegs, a potato farmer who was one of the largest landowners in Eastern Washington until his death in February.

The defendants in the Washington State Attorney General’s civil rights lawsuit deny liability, according to a settlement agreement filed Monday in Franklin County Superior Court.

The money paid by the companies will go entirely to four women who reported assaults and harassment by Antonio “Junior” Garcilazo dating back to 2018. According to the Attorney General, he was fired in March 2024.

The women said they faced retaliation, including reduced work hours, negative performance reviews and firing, if they reported Garcilazo, threatened to report him or resisted his harassment.

“These companies knew that this manager was harassing and assaulting their female employees, but they did not stop it,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “He abused his authority over these women to provide them with sexual favors.”

The Attorney General’s Office learned of the complaints against the two companies through the Northwest Justice Project in June 2023.

Allegations against agricultural companies

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the complaints contained the following allegations:

— A worker said she was taken to remote locations in fields and orchards where she was raped, beaten and had her hair pulled. After years of abuse, she filed a complaint with her employer but believed Garcilazo only gave her a verbal warning.

After she filed the complaint, her hours were significantly reduced. She reported the rapes to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, but no charges have been filed yet.

— A second woman, looking for a job, was sexually harassed over the phone after she was introduced to Garcilazo. He later showed up at her home uninvited and demanded sex. Fearing he might become violent, she complied.

Shortly thereafter, he had the woman come to the workplace to teach her the job, where he raped her. She was later hired by Baker Produce, and Garcilazo continued to call her and solicit sex. She filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and was fired within two months.

— A third woman repeatedly rejected Garcilazo’s requests for dates. He demanded oral sex from her after lending her $20.

She tried to pay back the $20, but he continued to demand that she pay him back with a sexual act. When she threatened to complain to management, he began giving her poor performance reviews.

– A fourth woman said Garcilazo frequently made unwanted sexual advances towards her, including asking for sex in exchange for overtime and extra work.

He showed her explicit videos on his phone, made comments about her body and tried to touch her. She said he bragged about having sex with other workers on the farm.

Requirements for 2 agricultural holdings

Under the terms of the settlement, Greenridge Farms and Baker Produce are not allowed to rehire Garcilazo.

They must introduce new policies to prevent discrimination and sexual harassment that encourage employees to file complaints.

The policies must include procedures to allow anonymous complaints to be submitted in the worker’s native language.

Managers and supervisors must attend annual anti-discrimination training that focuses on handling complaints of sexual harassment.

Employees must receive training annually or at the beginning of the season (for seasonal workers) on prohibiting harassment, discrimination or retaliation in the workplace.

Copyright: 2024 Tribune Content Agency.